Mishael Jun

Moments

Ever since I was young I always had those moments. The kind of moments where you know it’s divine. The moments when you see people for the first time and think, we gotta be friends, or , we have to connect. Then there are moments where you just so happen to be at the right place at the right time with the right people.

I call them spirit connections or God moments.

I’ve had times where it was simple, such as in high school, first day of school when someone walked into class and I thought, that person is tight. We’ll be friends soon. Then guess what? Out of nowhere we are great friends. These are the kind of things I love. Specially when they come wrapped in God moments.

For years now, I’ve thought how crazy but special friendships are. They aren’t things that get forced. It’s all about choice and everything just happens with ease and if I’m honest there’s times when things don’t work out even if you want them to, they just don’t click. And even wilder is when one person feels very connected and the other one doesn’t. But friendships are about the mutual things and appreciating the things that aren’t. The unique factors of people and knowing people are very different in many ways just like they’re alike.

Well all this is to share a God moment that had a spirit connection.

It was in 2014, I was doing the One Voice internship. Now that in itself was such a God thing. I heard about it that summer a month after graduating high school, then 2 months later, September 1st, there I was moving into my new home in Pasadena, CA.

It was mid- October as we had a usual morning, rushing to Northridge to meet our guest speaker of the week. It was a Tuesday.

We were having worship. We were all focusing on God as we entered into a slow song. Then without any warning what’s so ever… the door opens and the person who walks in starts shouting and blowing a shofar! I immediately turned to my friend Alan as he was cringing and I started laughing as he covered his ears haha! (he has sensitive ears)

I could tell this guy was going to be very extrovert and talkative as he began hugging people and talking across the room. Worship was officially over and our week guest speaker was here! He so happened to be a good friend of our leaders so as they all went to greet and talk, I rushed to the back of the room to play with my friend’s babygirl. As I did that, the guy began speaking in tongues. He then called me out and asked if I spoke in tongues (now if you do not know what “tongues” are, it’s a heavenly language), I nodded and turned around. I wasn’t trying to be put on the spot. Then this guy walks up to me and begins talking to me.

To fast forward an hours later, here I was in a room full of us tears. Some getting healed and so much else was going on. Then the guy turned to me, looked into my eyes and said so many things I had never heard but were true about me. As I looked into his eyes I saw love. A love so evident. It was Jesus. Seeing this, it led me into a life marking encounter with God as I left the room and went next door into the prayer room.

Now, this is how we meet.

By the end of the week, we were eating Korean bbq as I wanted him to get there and hopefully sit near us.. (haha) but nope he didn’t and he actually left early, he had church to go to.

From the guy who I first met who walked into the room shouting, being the guy anyone would never forget first meeting. The guy who knows how to make an entrance. I could actually say by the end of the week, I knew this guy was really awesome for inexplainable reasons and he was great to be around.

The day after meeting him we actually went into my high school and he was being crazy with everyone he saw, but he did it with so much joy and love in him. I actually translated for him that day as well. (which was not the last)

Again, fast forward! I feel like there’s so much to share but I’ll try my best not to lol

A couple weeks later in the internship we were having lunch break. We were hanging out outside of the church and out of nowhere this car passes making some sort of loud noises toward us. Alan and I turned to each other saying, what the heck was that?? Weirdo!

Next thing you know, the same guy we met weeks before came out of the car. Of course it would be him! haha Then he got In n Out and I said, deng, I wish we had a longer lunch, I kind of want In n Out! He so happened to hear me and next thing I knew, this guy was shoving a burger into my mouth and giving me some fries.

This guy was a special kind of person…

And if you haven’t guessed yet.. This guy is Ben! The one and only, the special, Mr. Ben Lim!

Months later, I was now going to his church (turns out he’s a pastor)

I then went to Thailand for my first mission trip. March 2015 was now here and I found myself, with Ben and his church, His Way and it had quickly became family.

May then came along and we became friends. This guy I had met 7 months early had now become my friend. This had to be one of those moments where it had to be God. So much had went down those months and I was now there. It had to be God.

NOW2 years later, and it had to be God and I am so glad.

Ben is my best friend.

His birthday was yesterday and as much as I thought for the past weeks to put words together to say, what are 3 things about him that I love or a best memory I have with him.

In all honest, the first week we met could have answered that.

Just in that one week I could say 3 things,

He has love in his eyes that is so strong, looking into them led me to an unforgettable encounter with God.

He is a very unique person who carries such a special gift in him that truly marks and changes peoples’ lives, regardless of how you feel about him. (Alan didn’t like him at first but yesterday we hung out together and Alan shared how much he appreciates Ben)

Regardless of what he does or carries, no matter if he’s a pastor, a book writer now and the list could goes on, he’s willing to do things such as drive 40 mins across town to talk to these 5 young kids in Northridge. That shows how honoring, humble, and greatly relational he is, how open he is and really what a great man he is.

I appreciate Ben with everything I got. My life has been transformed for the past 2 years +. He has forever marked my heart and life. I truly see what a privilege it has been, being able to do life with him. I am so indebted to all the wisdom he has shared with me, all the laughs, the intense moments, the tears, the love, the mission trips and road trips. The list will forever go on.

Ben is my awesome pastor and my leader, the man I work for and at the same time he’s my papa, the brother I always wanted and my great great friend!

Love you from the depth of my heart.

There’s nothing better than God moments, divine moments and spirit connections. Specially as they continue to happen all together. Meeting a random guy who interrupted our morning worship and shoved a burger in my mouth couldn’t have led to what it is now if it wasn’t a spirit thing and a God thing.

I know even when friends are friends out of divine appointments and spirit connections they still come and go. It’s all about the seasons and the reasons that God knows of.

I’ve had many that have come and go. Some which at those moments I did not understand but now do.

All I could say is I’m glad Ben is who he is and I get to be a part of his crazy fun story!